The frindley, if she is still interested in watching awesome realistic swordplay, should try to get the frindley's hands on a film called "The Duellists," with Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. My fencing/stage combat instructors made us watch it repeatedly, and now with DVD remotes you can slow down the action and see what they do.

Also, did you see the Olympic fencing last week? Thrilling bouts. A fencing coach/friend of ours is fond of telling people that the second-fastest object in the Olympics is the tip of a fencer's foil. The only thing faster is, of course, a bullet.

The frindley took up fencing when she was, well, too old. (All the best fencers begin at the age of six or so, like ballet I guess.)

And why? Mainly because she was suffering, in the professional environment, from a particularly obnoxious and petty boss. And so it seemed like the right time to pursue a long-held dream while enjoying general catharsis. She was also somewhat inspired by the Australian conductor, Simone Young, also a fencer, who once talked about how conducting and fencing both involve waving a stick, but with conducting you are trying to communicate intent, whereas with fencing you are trying to conceal intent. Very interesting thought. She had probably seen The Fencing Master on television as well, and had spent her childhood reading books like the Scarlet Pimpernel and other period romances. Oh, and the oft-quoted analogy of fencing being like chess speeded up probably had an influence too.

A postscript. Given her story, the frindley was especially amused by this site, which offers "fencing" as a corporate team-building exercise. (A "modern, collaborative experience" is their way of describing it.) Sounds dodgy to me.